Educated Roma Women, Empowered Roma Communities!

About this project

<p><span style="font-size: 11pt"><span style="font-family: &quot;Calibri&quot;, sans-serif">The National Roma Inclusion Strategy for the period 2013 to 2020 states that Roma women are a particularly excluded group; there is a traditional division of roles in Roma families; the relationship towards women is patriarchal; women are often marginalized and discriminated; due to their subordinate position they do not have the ability to plan a family. According to the results of the research&nbsp;for 27% of young Roma women in Croatia, the key reasons that lead to school dropout are early marriage, pregnancy and becoming a parent (15%). Of Romani women who have children, 50% of them gave birth to their first child underage, and 17% at the</span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt"><span style="font-family: &quot;Calibri&quot;, sans-serif"> age of 16. The general goal of the project is to include young Roma women in all social, economic and political flows by reducing underage pregnancies and increasing their number finishing the primary and the secondary education. Also, the goals of the project is to raise the capacity of Roma NGOs, Councils of the Roma National Minority members and individual actors from the Roma Alliance Kali Sara for public and legislative advocacy, and to establish cross-sectoral cooperation with relevant institutions to prevent and support Roma women in cases of forced marriages and underage pregnancies, but also other forms of gender-based violence. The beneficiaries are young Roma women aged 13 to 18; the project will have an emancipatory effects, motivating them to continue their education, empower them to ask for help and conversation, and we will ensure the realization of their rights; representatives of CRNM and Roma NGOs are educated on legislative advocacy in the context of the upcoming </span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt"><span style="font-family: &quot;Calibri&quot;, sans-serif">The National Roma Inclusion Strategy </span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt"><span style="font-family: &quot;Calibri&quot;, sans-serif">and gender equality policies; Relevant institutions at the local level are more willing to cooperate in combating violence against Roma women, the Office for Human Rights and the Rights of National Minorities and the Office for Gender Equality include representatives of CRNM and Roma NGOs in policy working groups.</span></span></p>

Bilateral cooperation results

The Vigdís Finnbogadóttir Institute for Foreign Languages focuses on pluriperspective research in foreign languages and cultures, particularly in linguistics and literature. Its goal is to enhance research and education in various languages, aiming to deepen understanding of multilingualism and the value of language skills and cultural knowledge in all areas of life. The institute promotes intercultural dialogue and contributes to society by organizing lectures, conferences with the International Center for Languages and Cultures, and publishing scientific materials and educational resources that facilitate communication in a globalized, multilingual world. As part of a project, a bilateral partner conducted a three-day educational cycle for young Romani women in different Croatian communities. The program consisted of three 4-hour sessions at each location, designed to match the attention span of the participants. The methodology and content were developed in collaboration with the Roma in the Centre Initiative and followed a participatory approach. In the first session, young Romani women were encouraged to express their views on their position in the community, early marriages, and teenage pregnancies. The educational topics covered included women's human rights, the right to live free from violence, sexual and reproductive health and rights, international standards for women's rights protection, and the freedom to choose when, with whom, and how many children to have. At the end of each cycle, the participants had the opportunity to speak confidentially with the project manager and activity coordinator about their experiences, seek legal and psychological support, and report any instances of violence, forced marriage, or human rights violations to the relevant authorities.

Project partners

• Institute of Foreign Languages, University of Island, Roma in the Centre Initiative Donor project partner· Iceland